Conservatives Admit their Parking Strategy Won't Work
February 6, 2009 12:17 AM
A leading local Conservative has admitted that the Conservatives' Parking Strategy for Windsor won't solve Windsor's parking problems.
Quoted in the Windsor Express on 9th January 2009 the Conservative Spokesman said ""I don't believe our new strategy will solve the parking problem. I don't believe you can solve it. We aren't illusionists."
His words are backed up by demand predictions contained in paragraph 3.19 of the January Cabinet Report on the Parking Strategy [http://www.rbwm.gov.uk/public/meetings_090122_cab_windsor_parking.pdf] which shows that on current forecasts of visitor growth the Conservatives' plan will run out of parking spaces in 2012 after less than 3 years, but conveniently, a year after the next council elections.
"Conservative quick fixes just won't work in the long run. What we need is a long term solution that can provide serious extra capacity and keep traffic out of Windsor, Datchet and Eton, like the 2100 spaces that were suggested for the M4 Park & Ride" says local Lib Dem campaigner Julian Tisi.
Local Lib Dems rejected the proposed Park & Ride put to the Cabinet in Nov 2007 by the Conservatives, calling instead for new plans for an M4 Park & Ride to be brought forward. Meanwhile Lib Dems are concerned about the veracity of some figures produced by the Conservatives in the Parking debate.